Double Trouble

George Pelecanos’ latest mystery

Set in the
present day, George Pelecanos’ new classic crime thriller The Double focuses on issues of returning Iraqi war veterans,
racism, murder and stolen works of art. That’s a lot to handle in one novel,
but in this sequel to his 2011 book, TheCut, Pelecanos manages to not only
tell a story that is both dynamic and adrenaline-raising, but successful in
providing readers with a multifaceted, edge-of-your-seat adventure. The Double is fast paced and ever
shifting.

At the center of
this tale is Spero Lucas, a Marine veteran of the Iraq War who currently makes
his living as a private investigator for a D.C.-based attorney (while also
dabbling in private work on the side). Set in the gritty underbelly of our
nation’s capital, TheDouble follows Lucas, a thorough and
intelligent investigator, as he finds himself trying to balance numerous
cases. He is asked by a bartender to investigate a painting stolen by a
woman’s ex-boyfriend at the same time as he attempts to solve a first-degree
murder case that isn’t as cut-and-dry as it first appeared. In the midst
of this maelstrom, Lucas manages to find time to begin an illicit affair with a
married woman as well as try to get a handle on his large Greek-American
family. In the process he comes up against career criminals, a Russian internet
scammer and a sociopath bent on destruction.

Pelecanos, a
Washington, D.C., native, has written 19 novels while also working as the
writer and producer of the Emmy award-winning TV series “The Wire.” He will
speak at Mystery One Bookstore (109
N. Prospect Ave.) at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17, and at Boswell Book Co. (2559 N. Downer Ave.) that same evening at 7 p.m.

Book Happening

Thomas Biel

7 p.m., Oct. 22

Boswell Book Co.

2559 N. Downer
Ave.

Badlands, a new collection of linked short
stories by Milwaukee author Thomas Biel, debuted this summer. These
coming-of-age narrative tales follow a dynamic group of boys as they explore
issues of morality, sexuality and connection to the landscape. Biel, an
English teacher at Rufus King high school in Milwaukee, has been teaching for
27 years.